The best way, how people can keep theirselves in good condition, look healthy, feel very good, have enough energy to work or study, is to practice some sports and games. Sport is also certain symbol of peace and friendship among people of all countries and nations. The Olympic games are some "holiday of peace". Sport gives people enjoyment, happiness, friendship, health, popularity, the feeling of victory, possible money and power, but on the other hand it may also be boring, cause sadness, sorrow, injuries and, in some causes even death. Sport is a very old activity. The physical activities that held first place among primitive people were activities of warlike nature and of hunting. In time of peace they were practised as a dance and recreational pastimes. The ancient Greeks admired the beauty of the human body and harmony of body, and the Romans, principally a militaristic nation, who prefered military and gladiatorial games and professional exhibitions. The Middle Ages were famous for their tournaments with knights or religious festivals occuring on the great feast days of the church, which offered the people a certain amount of recreation. Sports can be generally divided into indoor and outdoor sports. Indoor sports can be practised all the year round (typical indoor sport is gymnastic). Many of outdoor sports (athletics) depend on weather and therefore can be practised mostly in summer. Typical summer sports are athletics sports, cycling race, sailing, yachting, water skiing, wind-surfing and swimming. Typical winter sports are skiing, skating, snow-boarding and tobogganing. Skiers can practise giant slalom, downhill race or ski jumps in ski resorts, where there are good snow conditions. Figure skating and speed skating are practised on skating-rinks. Snow-boarding belongs to the new sports, and it is very popular among young people. An atypical division of sport is into two major groups: team and individual sports. Team sports (games) are those sports in which at least two players are involved. The most popular games are football, american football, basketball, volleyball, rugby, cricket, golf, baseball, water polo and ice-hockey.
Some sports:
ICE-HOCKEY is a fast and wild game and very popular. There are three twenty-minute periods. Every minute is full of action. Two groups of 6 players hit the small flat puck across the ice with their sticks. The aim of the game is to score as many goals as possible.
FOOTBALL is one of the most favorite sports in the Slovakia. It is played by two teams of 11 players and this game takes 90 minutes with a break in the middle of this time. The aim of this game is to get the ball into opponent's net.
GOLF is a famous English and American outdoor game that isn't very famous in our country. Golf is played by one, two or three persons or two pairs. The object is to hit the ball into each of the eighteen holes in as few strokes as possible.
SKIING events are divided into Nordic events and Alpine events.
Nordic events are:
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING is the sport of skiing for pleasure across the country side, usually long distance running over various terrain. A very popular activity is ski touring, as opposed to downhill skiing. SKI JUMPING is a competitive event in which individuals jump for distance after skiing down along, sloping hill. The most common distances in international competition are 70 m and 90 m from the point of take-off to the nearest likely landing point. BIATHLON combines cross-country skiing with shooting.
Alpine events are:
RACING DOWNHILL - the athlete seeks for the fastest direct route down the slope. SLALOM - race in which the skier must pass between pairs of poles set in various combinations.
COMPETITIVE FIGURE SKATING consists of single skating for men and women, pairs and there is ice dancing there too.
(The next Winter Olympic Games will be in Sydney - Australia)